english idioms & idiomatic expressions - b

8/12/2019 English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions - B

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leave somebodyholding the baby.

If someone is left holding the baby, they are maderesponsible for a problem that others don't want todeal with.When the angry customer started to complain, mycolleague disappeared and left me holding the baby.

back-room boys This term refers to people who do important work buthave no contact with the public.Back-room boys don't always receive the credit theydeserve for their work.

back-of-the-envelopecalculation

This expression refers to a quick approximatecalculation done informally, as on the back of anenvelope.I don't need the exact amount. ust give me a back-of-the-envelope calculation.

back of beyond An isolated place located far from any town is said tobe in theback of beyond.It took us hours to find ack's house. !e lives in theback of beyond.

(like the) backof one'shand

If you know something like the back of your hand,you are very familiar with it and know it in detail."f course I won't get lost. I know #ondon like theback of my hand$

back into shape To get yourself back into shape, you need to takesome exercise in order to become fit and healthyagain.%va decided she'd have to get back into shapebefore looking for a &ob.

back on your feet If you are back on your feet, after an illness or anaccident, you are physically healthy again.y grandmother had a bad 'flu but she's back on herfeet again.

back to the salt mines aying that you have to go back to the salt minesis

a humorous way of talking about returning to work,usually with some reluctance.We get two days off at (hristmas and then it's backto the salt mines$

back to square one To say that someone is back to square onemeansthat they have not succeeded in what they weretrying to do, so they have to start again.When the plans were refused, it was 'back to s)uareone' for the architect.

back to the wall If you have your back to the wall, you are in serious

difficulty.With his back to the wall, the supplier had to accept


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the deal.

back the wrong horse If you back or bet on the wrong horse, for examplethe loser in a contest, match or election, you supportthe wrong person.

When I voted for him I was convinced he would win,but I backed the wrong horse$

backhandedcompliment

A remark that appears to express admiration butcould also be interpreted as an insult is calleda backhanded compliment.!e said my presentation was *surprisingly clear*.!ow's that for a backhanded compliment$

backseat driver A passenger in a car who gives unwanted advice tothe driver is called a backseat driver.I can't stand backseat drivers like my mother-in-law$

bad egg omeone who is a bad egg is an untrustworthyperson often involved in trouble whose companyshould be avoided.I don't want my son to be friends with Bobby +mith.Bobby's a bad egg.

bad hair day !riginating as a humorous comment about one's hairbeing unmanageable, this term had broadened tomean 'a day when everything seems to go wrong'.What's wrong with enny Is she having a bad hairday

(in) bad shape A person who is in bad shapeis in poor physicalcondition.I really am in bad shape. I must do more exercise.

badger someone If you badger someone into doing something, youpersistently nag or pester them until you obtain whatyou want.ophie badgered her parents into buying her a newcomputer.

bag of bones To say that someone is a bag of bones means that

they are extremely thin."hen he came home from the war he was a bag ofbones.

bag of tricks If you use your #whole$ bag of tricks to do something,you try #all$ the clever methods you know in order tosucceed.%et's call on &eorge and his bag of tricks maybe hecan help us solve the problem.

in the bag (eople use this expression when it becomes obvious

that success or victory is going to be achieved.An hour before the polling stations closed, victory


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communication a whole new ball game.

ballpark figure If someone gives a ballpark figure, they give anapproximate number or a rough estimate of the costof something.

I don't know exactly how much it cost, but a ballparkfigure would be around 1233 333.

(load of) baloney This term refers to idle talk, or pretentious, untrue orinsincere statements that nobody can believe.That's a load of baloney I don't believe a word of it

bandit territory A geographical area where law enforcement ispractically impossible, because people ignore allrules, is called 'bandit territory'.There are a certain number of bandit territories in theworld where travellers are advised not to go.

jump on thebandwagon

If a person or organi/ation -umps on the bandwagon,they decide to do something when it is alreadysuccessful or fashionable."hen organic food became fashionable, certainstores were quick to -ump on the bandwagon andpromote it.

bane of one's life To say that something is the bane of your life meansthat it is the cause of your problems or yourunhappiness.The heating system is always breaking down. It's thebane of my life

bang one's headagainst a brick wall

If you bang or knock your head against a brick wall,you continue vainly to try to achieve something inspite of several unsuccessful attempts.I've been banging my head against a brick wall tryingto explain the internet to my grandmother

bar fly A bar fly is someone who spends a lot of timedrinking in bars and pubs.4ou'll find 5ohnny down at the pub * he's a real bar

fly.bare one's soul If you bare you soul #or heart$ to someone, you

reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.+ike couldn't keep things to himself any longer. edecided to bare his soul to his best friend.

barefaced liar omeone who lies easily, with a total lack of shame,is a barefaced liar.That barefaced liar stole my watch and said he'dfound it

barking up the wrongtree A person who is barking up the wrong tree is doingthe wrong thing, because their beliefs or ideas are


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incorrect or mistaken.The police are barking up the wrong tree if they think5oey stole the car * he can't drive

basket case A person whose agitated mental state leaves them

helpless or unable to cope with things is calleda basket case.5enny will turn into a basket case if this stressfulsituation continues.

bats in the belfry If you say that somebody has bats in the belfry, youmean that they are eccentric or cra/y.e comes up with the cra/iest ideas * he's got batsin the belfry

bated breath If you wait for something with bated breath, you areboth anxious and excited about an imminent event.

"e waited with bated breath for the winner to beannounced.

batten down thehatches

"hen you batten down the hatches, you prepareyourself for trouble or a forthcoming difficult period,like a ship preparing for a storm.ere comes that trouble*making guy. 6atten downthe hatches

battle lines are drawn This expression is used to say that opposing groupsare ready to defend the reason behind the conflict.The battle lines have been drawn between thosewho accept the changes and those who are againstthe proposed reforms.

battle of wills A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides aredetermined to win is described as a battle of wills."hen they separated, neither party would makeconcessions * it was a battle of wills.

be full of beans A person who is full of beans is lively, healthy andactive.e may be getting old but he's still full of beans.

be my guest This expression is used to give someone permissionto do something.If you'd like to use the phone, be my guest.

be-all and end-all To say that something is not the be*all and end*all means that it is not what matters most or what ismost essential.&ood schools are not the be*all and end*all ofeducating a child.

be that as it may This expression means that what the speaker says

may be true but it will not change the situation.!7. 8ewer people may come because of the bad


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weather, but be that as it may, it's too late to cancelthe show.

bear the brunt A person who bears the brunt of something is theone who suffers the most when something bad or

unpleasant happens."hen things go wrong, his assistant always has tobear the brunt of his anger.

bear fruit If something bears fruit, it produces positive orsuccessful results.After years of hard work, his research finally beganto bear fruit.

bear in mind If a person asks you to bear something in mind, theyare asking you to remember it because it isimportant.

4ou must bear in mind that the cost of living is higherin 9ew 4ork.

bear with a sore head If someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head,they are very irritable and bad*tempered."hen his team lost the match, 6rad was like a bearwith a sore head.

beard the lion in hisden

If you visit someone important in the place wherethey work, in order to challenge him:her or obtainsomething, you beard the lion in his den.If he continues to refuse my calls, I'll have to beardthe lion in his den.

beat one's brain out If someone beats their brains out, they try very hardto understand something or solve a problem.+y grandmother beats her brains out every eveningtrying to do the crossword pu//le in the newspaper.

beat around the bush This expression is used to tell someone to say whatthey have to say, clearly and directly, even if it isunpleasant.top beating around the bush. 5ust tell me what has

been decidedbeat/flog a dead horse To say that someone is beating a dead horse means

that they are wasting time and effort trying to do orachieve something that is impossible.+ark is beating a dead horse trying to get his moneyreimbursed.The company has gone bankrupt

beat a hasty retreat omeone who beats a #hasty$ retreat runs away orgoes back hurriedly to avoid a dangerous or difficultsituation.

The thief beat a hasty retreat as soon as he saw thesecurity officer.


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beat/knock the (living)daylights

If a person beats the #living$ daylights out of another,they hit them very hard and repeatedly.If I catch you stealing again I'll beat the daylights outof you

beat someone to thedraw If you beat someone to the draw, you react morequickly and manage to do something before they do.;oss was determined to be the first to arrive. emanaged to beat the others to the draw.

it beats me This expression is used to express surprise atsomething that you find difficult to understand.It beats me how he can live in that horribleapartment

at someone's beck andcall

If a person is at someone's beck and call, they arealways ready to do things for them or obey orders to

please them.(arents should not be at the beck and call of theirchildren.

bee in one's bonnet omeone who has a bee in their bonnet has an ideawhich constantly occupies their thoughts.he's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to 9ew4ork.

bee's knees To say that someone:something is the bee'sknees means that the speaker thinks they areexceptionally good.If you say


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under one's belt If you have something under your belt, you haveacquired experience or have satisfactorily achievedsomething.4ou've got to have some work experience underyour belt before you can hope to get a permanent

-ob.

bend over backwards If you bend over backwards, you try very hard to dosomething, especially to please somebody.The manager bent over backwards to try to make5ack stay, but 5ack wouldn't change his mind.

bend the truth If you bend the truth, you say something that is notentirely true.!k, I bent the truth a bit. I told him it was my naturalcolour, but I didn't say that my hairdresser helped meto keep it natural

benefit of the doubt If you give someone the benefit of the doubt, youchoose to believe that the person is innocent, honestor telling the truth, because there is no evidence tothe contrary.Although he found it hard to believe Tom'sexplanation, the teacher decided to give him thebenefit of the doubt.

bent out of shape If you get bent out of shape, you become annoyed orupset about something that is usually not that

important or cannot be avoided.>on't get bent out of shape if you're delayed. "e'llwait for you.

beside yourself If you are beside yourself #with an emotion$, you loseyour self*control because of the intensity of theemotion you are feeling.e was beside himself with grief when he lost hisson.

best bet The action most likely to succeed is called one's bestbet.

4our best bet would be to try calling him at home.

best of one's ability "hen someone does something to the best of theirability, they do it as well as they possibly can.I felt nervous all through the interview, but I replied tothe questions the best of my ability.

best of both worlds If a person has the best of both worlds, they have thebenefits and advantages of two different things."e live in the centre of town, but only ? minutes fromthe beach. "e have the best of both worlds.

best foot forward If you put your best foot forward, you do somethingas fast as you can.


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dreams better than you imagined or hoped for.The research team received a grant from thegovernment that was beyond their wildest dreams.

beyond recall omething which is beyond recall is impossible to

retrieve, cancel or reverse.I'm afraid we can't recover the pictures * your camerais beyond recall.

beyond redemption If something is beyond redemption, it is in such apoor state that there is no hope of improvement orrecovery."ith the latest scandal, his reputation is now beyondredemption.

bide your time If you bide your time, you wait for a good opportunityto do something.

e's not hesitating, he's -ust biding his time, waitingfor the price to drop.

big cheese This expression refers to a person who has a lot ofpower and influence in an organi/ation.Tom's father is a big cheese in the oil industry.

big fish in a small pond This term refers to an important or highly*rankedperson in a small group or organi/ation.e could get a -ob with a big company but he en-oysbeing a big fish in a small pond.

big picture If you talk about the big picture, you refer to theoverall situation,or the pro-ect as a whole rather than the details."hile each aspect is important, try not to forget thebig picture.

bill of health If a person has a clean bill of health, they have areport or certificate declaring that their health issatisfactory.All candidates for the position must produce a cleanbill of health.

binge drinking This term refers to heavy drinking where largequantities of alcohol are consumed in a short spaceof time, often among young people in rowdy groups.6inge drinking is becoming a ma-or problem in some0uropean countries.

birds of a feather To say that two people are birds of a feather meansthat they are very similar in many ways.9o wonder they get on well. They're birds of afeather

for the birds If you think something is for the birds, you consider itto be uninteresting, useless or not to be taken


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seriously.As far as I'm concerned, his theory is for the birds.

birthday suit This humorous expression means that you arewearing nothing.

The bathroom door blew open, and there I was in mybirthday suit

take the biscuit This expression refers to something very irritating orannoying.After waiting for an hour, we were told that therewere no seats left. That really took the biscuit

bite the bullet If you bite the bullet, you accept somethingunpleasant because you cannot avoid it.If you don't have health insurance, you have to bitethe bullet and pay the hospital fees.

bite the dust The expression 'bite' or 'hit the dust' is a humorousway of referring to death.It's a story about an old cowboy who hits the dustduring a train robbery.

bite off more than youcan chew

If you bite off more than you can chew, you try to dosomething that is too difficult for you, or more thanyou can manage.As soon as I started to translate the report, I reali/edthat I had bitten off more than I could chew.

get a second bite at thecherry

This expression means that you get a secondopportunity to door try something.e was eliminated in the semi*finals, but he'll get asecond bite at the cherry next year.

bite the hand that feedsyou

If you bite the hand that feeds you, you are unfriendlyor do harm to someone who is kind to you.If you say bad things about the person who gives youa -ob, you bite the hand that feeds you.

bite someone's head off If you bite someone's head off, you critici/e them

strongly #and perhaps unfairly$.I worked 23 hours a day all week and my boss bit myhead off for not doing my share of the work

bite one's tongue If you bite your tongue, you try not to say what youreally think or feel.It was difficult for me not to react I had to bite mytongue.

bitten by the bug If you develop a sudden interest or enthusiasm forsomething, you are bitten by the bug.

+y dad decided to take up golf and was immediatelybitten by the bug.


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once bitten twice shy This is said by someone who has had an unpleasantexperience which has made them more cautious.I'm never going to get married again. !nce bitten,twice shy

bitter pill to swallow omething very unpleasant or difficult to accept isa bitter pill to swallow.%osing his -ob after organi/ing the merger was abitter pill to swallow.

black market The black market refers to the illegal buying andselling of goods or currencies.6e careful of what you buy on the black market * it'snot always good quality.

black out If you black out, you lose consciousness."hen Tony saw the needle, he blacked out.

black sheep The black sheep is one who behaves very differentlyor badly, and is considered disreputable by the othermembers of the family.5oe was the black sheep of the family, always gettinginto trouble.

black tie event This expression refers to a formal event at whichmen are required to wear a dinner -acket, or tuxedo,and a black bow tie.I need to know if it's going to be a casual get*together or a black tie event.

in black and white To say that something is in black and white meansthat there is written proof of it.It's an obligation. It's in black and white in yourcontract.

blamestorming A discussion among a group of people who try todetermine whoor what is to blame for a particular mistake, failure orwrongdoing, is called 'blamestorming'.A blamestorming session took place following the

unfavourable reviews in the press.blank cheque If you give someone a blank cheque, you authori/e

them to do what they think is best in a difficultsituation.Tom was given a blank cheque and told to negotiatethe best deal possible.

wet blanket To refer to someone as a wet blanket means thatthey spoil other people's fun, or make an event lessen-oyable than it could have been.)ome on +ike >on't be such a wet blanket. 4ou're

spoiling the party


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blessing in disguise This expression refers to something that isunpleasant at first but later turns out to haveadvantages.+issing the plane was a blessing in disguise * that'show he met his wife. he was a hostess on the next

flight

blind alley If you go up a blind alley, you follow an ineffectivecourse of action which leads nowhere or producesno results.The suspect's 'revelations' lead the police up a blindalley.

blind as a bat omeone whose vision is very poor, or who is unableto see anything, is #as$ blind as a bat."ithout his glasses, the old man is as blind as a bat.

blind leading the blind This expression describes a person with very littleability trying to help or guide a person with no ability.>on't ask ofia to translate it. he hardly speaks aword of 0nglish herself. It would be the blind leadingthe blind.

blind someone withscience

If someone tries to blind you with science, theyconfuse you with their knowledge by using difficult ortechnical words."hen you ask Tim for a simple explanation, heblinds you with science.

blink of an eye If something happens in the blink of an eye, ithappens nearly instantaneously, with hardly enoughtime to notice it.The pickpocket disappeared in the blink of an eye.

on the blink If a machine is on the blink, it is not working properlyand needs servicing or repair."hat a nuisance The photocopier is on the blinkagain.

blockbuster omething that is outstanding, impressive or

particularly successful, such as a film or a book ,iscalled a blockbuster.The TB series was a blockbuster.

makes your blood boil If something makes your blood boil, it makes youreally angry.is condescending attitude made my blood boil

makes your blood runcold

If something makes your blood run cold, it shocks orscares youa lot.The look in the prisoner's eyes made my blood run

cold.


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blood out of a stone This expression refers to something that is verydifficult to obtain.9egotiating a reduction from that company is likegetting blood from a stone

blood! sweat and tears A pro-ect or action which involves blood, sweat andtears requires a lot of effort and hard work.is success wasn't due to luck it was blood, sweatand tears all the way.

blot one's copy-book omeone who blots their copy*book does somethingto spoil their good record or reputation.e blotted his copy*book when he was arrested forspeeding.

blow away the cobwebs If something blows away the cobwebs, it makes youfeel more lively and refreshes your ideas.

%et's get out of the house. A walk on the beach willblow away the cobwebs

blow a fuse If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temperand become very angry.)harlie blew a fuse yesterday then he discoveredthat his ipod had been stolen.

blow a gasket "hen a furious person blows a gasket, they explodewith anger."hen the shop was burgled for the third time, theowner blew a gasket.

blow hot and cold If you blow hot and cold about something, youconstantly change your opinion about it.The boss keeps blowing hot and cold about themarketing campaign * one day he finds it excellent,the next day he wants to make changes.

blow out of proportion If you exaggerate the importance of something,you blow it out of proportion.The importance of the event was blown out ofproportion by the media.

blow the whistle If you report an illegal or socially*harmful activity tothe authorities, and give information about thoseresponsible for it, you blow the whistle or you area whistle*blower.e refused to blow the whistle on his boss for fear oflosing his -ob.

blow up in your face "hen working on a plan or pro-ect, if it suddenlygoes wrong or fails, it blows up in your face.The trip was difficult to organi/e, but it blew up in hisface when the airline company went on strike.

blow your top If you blow your top, you suddenly become very


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angry."hen my mother saw the state of the house after theparty, she blewher top

blue around the gills If a person looks blue around gills, #or green or pale$they look unwell or sick.4ou should sit down. 4ou look a bit blue around thegills.

blue chip company This term refers to a company with a solid reputationfor the quality of its products and the stability of itsgrowth and earnings.It's usually safe to invest in a blue chip company.

blue in the face If you do something until you are blue in the face,you try unsuccessfully to do something for a very

long time.I explained the situation until I was blue in the facebut she wouldn't change her mind.

feel blue To feel blue means to have feelings of deep sadnessor depression.I'm going to see my grandmother. he's feeling a bitblue at the moment.

blue-eyed boy A blue*eyed boy is someone's favourite.e's the director's blue*eyed boy

out of the blue If something happens out of the blue, it happens veryunexpectedly.I had nearly given up hope when out of the blue Iwas offered a -ob.

(scream) blue murder omeone who screams blue murder shouts orcomplains very loudly as if something very serioushas happened.The crowd started screaming blue murder when thefootball match was interrupted.

above board If a situation or business is described as above

board, it is open, honest and legal.There are not secret negotiations. !ur dealingshave always been above board.

in the same boat If two or more parties are in the same boat, they arein the same unpleasant or difficult situation."hen the factory closed down, the workers all foundthemselves in the same boat.

miss the boat If you miss the boat, you fail to take advantage of anopportunity because you don't act quickly enough.

I managed to get my order through before the end ofthe special offer * but I nearly missed the boat


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bodice-ripper A novel, usually on a historical theme, with a plot thatinvolves romantic passion between a vulnerableheroine and a rich, powerful male character, is calleda bodice*ripper.The novel is a bodice*ripper set in the 8rench

revolution.

the mind boggles The expression 'the mind boggles' is used as areaction to something you find ama/ing or difficult tounderstand.he crossed the Atlantic alone * can you imagine= *the mind boggles

bold as brass omeone who is as bold as brass behaves withoutshame or embarrassment.6old as brass, he refused the gift and handed it backto his mother*in*law.

bolt from the blue To refer to something as a bolt from the blue meansthat it happened totally unexpectedly.The chairman's resignation came as a bolt from theblue.

bone of contention A bone of contention is a matter or sub-ect aboutwhich there isa lot of disagreement.The salaries have been agreed on, but opening onundays is still a bone of contention.

bone to pick withsomeone

If you have a bone to pick with someone, you areannoyed with them and want to talk to them about it.+ark wants to see the boss. e says he's got abone to pick with him.

make no bones about it If you make no bones about something, you don'thesitate to say something in a frank and open way.I made no bones about it. I told him his offer wasunacceptable.

you can't judge a book

by its cover

This expression means that you should not form an

opinion about something from its appearance only.e leads a very simple life but in fact he's anextremely rich man. * you can't -udge a book by itscover.

in someone's good/badbooks

If you are in somebody's good or bad books, youhave their approval or disapproval.I'm in my wife's bad books at the moment because Iforgot our wedding anniversary.

lick somebody's boots To say that one person licks another person'sboots means that they are trying to please that

person, often in order to obtain something.There's no need to lick the manager's boots. 5ust do


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your -ob

too big for one's boots A person who is getting too big for their bootsis behaving as if they were more important than theyreally are.

Tom's really getting too big for his boots since he gota promotion * he hardly says hello any more

bored to tears(distraction/death/silly)

If you find something so dull and uninteresting that itmakes you sad enough to cry, you are bored totears.I could see that my son was bored to tears by thehistorical documentary.

born with a silverspoon in one's mouth

A person who is born with a silver spoon in theirmouth is born into a very rich family.he never has to worry about money she was born

with a silver spoon in her mouth.

" wasn't born yesterday This expression is used to indicate that you are notas foolish or as easily deceived as some peopleseem to think.top inventing silly excuses. I wasn't born yesterdayyou know

botch up/make a botch of

If you spoil something, or make a mess of it, by doinga -ob badly or incorrectly, you make a botch of it oryou botch it up.>anny tried to assemble the new desk, but he madea botch of it.

on the bottle A person who drinks alcohol often and regularly is onthe bottle.5ohn went on the bottle when he lost his -ob.

bottom fell out "hen something causes a plan, pro-ect or venture tocollapse or fail, the bottom falls out of it."hen heavy rain was announced, the bottom fell outof their plans for a beach party.

bounce off the walls omeone who is very excited about something, or

full of nervous energy, is said to be bouncing off thewalls.>anny can't wait to start his new -ob. e's bouncingoff the walls.

bow and scrape To say that someone is bowing and scraping meansthat they are being excessively polite or servile.The (resident was greeted with much bowing andscraping.

brain drain The departure of highly qualified people #scientists,

engineers, etc.$ for other countries, where they havebetter opportunities and usually better pay, is


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called the brain drain.

brain like a sieve omeone who has a brain like a sieve has a verybad memory and forgets things easily.!h, I forgot to buy the bread * I've got a brain like a

sieve these dayshave something on thebrain

If you have something on the brain, you think or talkabut it all constantly.top talking about golf. 4ou've got golf on the brain

brains behindsomething

omeone who is the brains behind a pro-ect or actionis the person thought to have planned and organi/edeverything.The police have arrested a man believed to be thebrains behind the bank robbery.

no-brainer A decision or choice that requires little or no thought,because the best option is so obvious, is called a no*brainer.The choice was between a cash refund or having theamount credited to my account * it was a no*brainer.I took the cash

get down to brass tacks "hen people get down to brass tacks, they start todiscuss the essential aspects of a problem orsituation.The situation was so serious that after a few politeexchanges they quickly got down to brass tacks.

all brawn and no brain omeone who is physically very strong but not veryintelligent is said to be all brawn and no brain.e's an impressive player to watch, but he's allbrawn and no brain.

know which side yourbread is buttered

If you know which side your bread is buttered, youknow where your interests lie or what will be to youradvantage.5ack never argues with his father*in*law. e knowswhich side his bread is buttered.

take the bread out ofsomebody's mouth

If you take the bread out of somebody's mouth, youtake away their means of earning a living.The decision to ban street vendors took the breadout of the mouths of many people.

on the breadline (eople who live on the breadline have a very lowincome or barely enough money to survive.>ue to the recent crisis, there are more people onthe breadline thanever before.

break your back If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of effort intoachieving something, you break your back to do it.


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If you want the -ob done well, you should accept topay more. e's not going to break his back for sucha low price

break the back of the

beast

If someone breaks the back of the beast, they

succeed in overcoming a ma-or difficulty.After hours of effort, the technicians finally broke theback of the beast and turned the electricity back onagain.

break fresh ground If you break fresh ground, you innovate byintroducing or developing a new method or system.cientists have broken fresh ground in theirexploration of outer space.

break a leg This is a humorous way of wishing someone goodluck, especially among stage performers.

o tonight's the opening night= 6reak a leg

break the mould If you change what people expect from a #traditional$situation, especially by doing something original,you break the mould.After generations of doctors in the family, he brokethe mould by becoming a fashion designer.

break every rule in thebook

If you behave in a completely unacceptable way,you break every rule in the book.!ur competitors obtained the contract by breakingevery rule in the book.

break out in cold sweat If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin toperspire a lot, usually from anxiety.I get nervous at the dentist's and usually break out ina cold sweat.

breaking and entering This term refers to the fact of entering a building orhome illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc.The two men were found guilty of breaking andentering.

breathe down

someone's neck

If someone is breathing down your neck, they are

watching you too closely and making you feeluncomfortable.The atmosphere at work is not great the boss keepsbreathing downour necks all the time.

a bree#e To say that something was a bree/e means that itwas very easy or that everything went smoothly.The interview was a bree/e * barely 23 minutes and Igot the -ob

bricks and mortarbricks and clicks An established trading company #office:shop$ isreferred to as a'brick*and*mortar' business.


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')lick companies' refer to internet*based operations.)ompanies which do both are called 'bricks andclicks'.)lick businesses are usually more flexible than brick*and*mortar operations.

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

A person who is bright*eyed and bushy*tailed is veryenthusiastic and full of energy.&ary was fantastic. e arrived bright*eyed andbushy*tailed at Camand worked with us all day.

bring the house down If you bring the house down, you give a verysuccessful performance.If he sings like that on aturday, he'll bring the housedown.

bring nothing to thetable

If you participate in negotiations and bring nothing tothe table, you have nothing of interest to offer theother side."e'll never reach an agreement if we don't all bringsomething to the table.

bring someone to heel If you force someone to behave in a disciplinedmanner, you bring them to heel.The boy had always behaved badly, but the newheadmaster managed to bring him to heel.

bring up the rear omeone who brings up the rear is the last person ina group of people who are walking or running.The pupils walked calmly down the corridor, with theteacher bringing up the rear.

broad daylight If something happens in broad daylight, it takes placein the clear light of day when everyone can seewhat's going on.is car was stolen in front of the bank, in broaddaylight, and apparently there was not one witness

broad as it's long This expression means that there is no real

difference which alternative is chosen.Take the high*speed train, or fly and take a taxi= It'sas broad as it's long.

broad strokes If something is described or defined with:in broadstrokes, it is outlined in a very general way, withoutany details.In a few broad strokes he summed up the situation.

brown as a berry To say that someone is as brown as a berry meansthat they are very tanned.5udy came back from her holiday as brown as a

berry.


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browned off If you are browned off, you are bored, fed up ordisheartened.Tom is browned off with his -ob.

have a brush with "hen you have a brush with something, such as the

law, you encounter or experience it briefly.ad a brush with the law for speeding a few yearsago, but he has had a clean record ever since.

the bubble has burst To say that the bubble has burst means that thesuccess of an idea, a product or a situation hassuddenly stopped.The video game was a phenomenal success but thebubble has burst.

pass the buck If you say that someone is passing the buck, you areaccusing them of not taking responsibility for a

problem and expecting someone else to handle it.am takes the easy way out. "henever a problemarises, he immediately passes the buck

kick the bucket To kick the bucket is a lighthearted way of talkingabout death.e will inherit when his grandfather kicks the bucket

buckle down If you buckle down, you apply yourself withdetermination to hard work and give it hour fullattention.If you want to pass your exams, you'll have to buckledown and do some serious work.

nip in the bud If you nip a problem or an unacceptable situation inthe bud, you stop it at an early stage, before itdevelops or becomes worse.e wanted to be a clown, but his parents soonnipped that idea in the bud.

build bridges If a person builds bridges between opposing groups,they help them to cooperate and understand eachother better.

A mediator is trying to build bridges between thelocal community and the owners of the new plant.

take the bull by thehorns

To take the bull by the horns means that a persondecides to act decisively in order to deal with adifficult situation or problem."hen the argument turned into a fight, the bar ownertook the bull by the horns and called the police.

bulldo#e somebodyinto doing something

A person who is bulldo/ed into doing something isforced to do it, especially by being bullied orintimidated.

The immigrants we bulldo/ed into accepting thework.


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bundle of nerves If you describe someone as a bundle of nerves, youmean that they are very nervous, tense or worried.+y son is doing his driving test today. 9eedless tosay he's a bundle of nerves

burden of proof The burden of proof is the necessity imposed by thelaw to prove that what one says is true.The burden of proof lies with the claimant.

burn your bridges If you burn your bridges, you do something that willbe impossible to rectify in the future.If you refuse the offer, be careful not to burn yourbridges by insulting them. They may make a betterproposal later.

burn the candle at bothends

If you burn the candle at both ends, you exhaustyourself by doing too much, especially going to bed

late and getting up early.cott looks exhausted * I'll bet he's been burning thecandle at both ends lately.

burn your fingers If you burn your fingers #or get your fingers burnt$,you suffer financially as a result of foolish behaviour.5ack got his fingers burnt playing on the stockmarket.

on the back burner If you put a pro-ect or issue on the back burner, youdecide to deal with it at a later date because you donot consider it to be that urgent or important."hen 5ulie was offered a promotion she put her+6A plans on the back burner.

burning question "hat everyone is asking, and what we all want toknow about, is called the burning question."ho leaked the information= That's the burningquestion

bury head in sand If you bury your head in the sand, you refuse to facethe unpleasant reality by pretending that the situationdoesn't exist.

It's no good burying your head in the sand. "e've gota problem on our hands.

bury the hatchet "hen people who have had a disagreement decideto forget their quarrel and become friends again,they bury the hatchet.I didn't agree with my colleague's decision, but forthe sake of peace,I decided to bury the hatchet.

business as usual After an unpleasant or unexpected event, thisexpression means that everything is continuing in a

normal way, in spite of the difficulties.It was business as usual at the supermarket the day


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after the hold*up.

business beforepleasure

This expression means that it is consideredpreferable to finish one's work before going to relaxand en-oy oneself.

I'd love to have lunch with you but I've got a report tofinish * business before pleasure I'm afraid

business is business This is a way of saying that in financial andcommercial matters, friendship or personal feelingsshould not be allowed to have any influence.I'll hire your brother only if he is the best candidate.I'm sorry but business is business

busman's holiday A busman's holiday is when you spend your sparetime or your holidays doing the same sort of activityas you do in your -ob.

+y husband is a chef, so for him time off with thefamily is often a busman's holiday

butter somebody up "hen you butter someone up, you flatter them oryou are very nice to them, especially if you want toobtain something.e was so keen to get the -ob that he spent his timebuttering up the boss.

butter wouldn't melt inyour mouth

If you say that someone looks as if butter wouldn'tmelt in their mouth,you mean that they lookcompletely innocent, but that they are capable ofdoing unpleasant things.The boy who stole the purse looked as if butterwouldn't melt in his mouth.

butterflies in yourstomach

If you have butterflies in your stomach, you arefeeling very nervous.At the beginning of an exam, I always havebutterflies in my stomach.

buy a lemon If buy something, especially a car, that is defective,unsatisfactory, constantly gives trouble or stops

running after a short time, youbuy a lemon.The car I bought was a real lemon. It broke downtwo weeks later.

by degrees If something happens or develops by degrees, ithappens gradually or little by little as time goes by.6y degrees their business relationship grew intofriendship.

english idioms & idiomatic expressions - b

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